


Everyone's A Little Afraid of Love

by noraneptune



Series: The Jeremike AU [17]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Angst, Basically Chris and Fritz's pov, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Fritz and Chris take you through what happened, M/M, Rivalry, Third Wheels, one of my favorites :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:27:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27762253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noraneptune/pseuds/noraneptune
Summary: What Chris didn’t expect was to watch his best friend fall in love, and be dumb as rocks about it, too.Did he expect to watch one of his most complicated friends fall in love? Fuck no.Did he make Mike’s life hell when he found out?Of course he did, you really think Fritz would do anything different?Or, in which Fritz and Chris watch the most important people in their life fall in love, and be a pain in the ass about it too.
Relationships: Jeremy Fitzgerald & Chris, Jeremy Fitzgerald/Mike Schmidt, Mike Schmidt & Fritz Smith
Series: The Jeremike AU [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859005
Comments: 9
Kudos: 11





	Everyone's A Little Afraid of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Header on Google Docs;  
> Omg i just wanted to write third and fourth wheels so this will be really exciting (also ao3 if you’re seeing this i love and cherish all of you)
> 
> :) Enjoy

Chris couldn’t really remember much of life before he had met Jeremy. Obviously, it existed, as they were just barely fifteen and sixteen when they first met, but Jeremy had been such a constant that Chris never really bothered thinking of a time before they met.

He remembered first introducing himself to Jeremy in highschool via an honors trigonometry class. It started with Chris forgetting work and frantically scrambling to ask his friends around him to copy  _ anything _ down to hand in. He was shocked, to say the least when the quiet brunette next to him silently slipped him his very neatly inscribed homework. Chris remembered blinking at him in confusion, only to be given a small smile and a look away. Odd, for someone who he’d never talked to before.

After class as the brunette rushed to leave, Chris had to practically hunt him down to thank him. The conversation was short, but the blonde felt an immediate draw to the boy, feeling a sense of similarity in dynamic. Over the course of the next week they started talking practically every day, passing dumb notes in class only to part ways afterwards. It only took a little under a month for them to become extremely connected to each other.

Chris also remembered Elijah. Something that he’d never forgive himself for was not getting Jeremy out of his cycle of abuse sooner. He never liked Elijah, even when he treated Jeremy like a prince. There was always something off about him, the way he looked at the brunette when his back was turned, and the hunger in his eyes that didn’t resemble any kind of love or affection. 

Chris also remembered slowly watching the light behind Jeremy’s green eyes slowly dim and fade as the months progressed, something that practically killed him to watch. Everything about him was stripped away, leaving barely anything there. His already smaller frame was thinning out more, his eyes didn’t glow like they used to, and his whole attitude seemed like it was beaten out of him.

When Jeremy showed up at Chris’ house crying just past midnight in December, his worst fears were confirmed. Chris  _ knew _ something was happening that Jeremy wasn’t telling him, he just  _ knew _ . Once he let the floodgates go, Chris remembered his own sobs that followed. Sitting on the floor of his living room, desperately clinging onto his best friend never wanting to let go, he felt the most hopeless he had in a long time.

Chris wasn’t stupid. He practically begged Jeremy to leave him, trying to convince him that what was happening  _ wasn’t _ love and never would be. He knew he couldn’t let the most important person to him get hurt more.

But, he also knew that you can’t force someone out of a cycle. The hardest part of it was listening to Jeremy cry or tell him about what had happened, only to have the widest ingenuine smile in that dumbass trig class the next day. 

When Elijah was gone Chris deadass threw a party. If you can call Chris and Jeremy on the floor of Chris’ room with ice cream and Mariokart a party, that is.

So yeah, Chris was Jeremy’s best friend, and vice versa. They healed each other through everything, and only wanted what was best for the other. Neither could imagine a life without the other, and they trusted each other with everything.

So, when Chris had graduated and started working at a small pizza joint near their school as a rec from an old friend, Jeremy wanted to follow suit; His mom and him could use the extra income and he’d get to work with his best friend, win-win right?

What Chris didn’t expect was to watch his best friend fall in love, and be dumb as rocks about it, too.

Fritz and Mike had an odd relationship, to say the least. A pretty basic story, though- They met in middle school and were asshats to each other, leading to a small mock rivalry that spread through their highschool years for pretty much no reason. They considered each other friends, but said so with a bitter taste in their mouth. Genuinely, they had a lot in common but often that was lost with their stubbornness colliding at any free second. Either way, they knew quite a lot about each other and each other’s lives despite the arguments and rivalry. 

One of their biggest moments of being at each other's necks was when they both applied for the same job. The week was full of tension and taunts and suspiciously aggressive notes left on each other's seats and bags.

To say the least, like most of their arguments it was all for nothing, as when both went to taunt the other about getting the job, they realized what had happened.

They became better friends as they worked together, still the same bickering idiots, but friends nonetheless. Fritz introduced one of his old friends-through-other-friends a good chunk of months later, only for him to join the job a few weeks later.

It was great that Chris was gonna be working with them, it’d add more light to their shifts and make Mike less of a stoic immovable blob. However, what Fritz didn’t expect was Chris to bring his own plus one; A senior in highschool who didn’t seem too fond of talking.

What Fritz expected the  _ least _ was the Mike he knew to completely fizzle out into a puddle over the months following the new coworker. 

Did he expect to watch one of his most complicated friends fall in love? Fuck no. Was it sometimes so frustrating he wanted to bang his head into a wall and die? Hell yeah.

Did he make Mike’s life hell when he found out?

Of course he did, you  _ really _ think Fritz would do anything different?

From the second Chris introduced Jeremy to Mike, he could see the glint in the brunette’s eyes. To the blonde, it was pretty inevitable seeing as Jeremy’s type in guys was extremely consistent throughout the years. Tall, dark hair, light eyes, and looks like they could probably kill you. Jeremy hadn’t dated or even expressed much interest in dating aside from the very scarce and very few hookups he’d had. After everything with Elijah, it was hard for him to imagine ever being fully comfortable giving himself completely to someone anytime soon, or even ever again. Didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate someone handsome when he saw them, though.

Mike seemed pretty indifferent when they met, which only slightly hurt the shorter’s feelings. He didn’t  _ really _ mind though, but Chris could tell the small sting of an attractive person not thinking the same about you. Chris never mentioned it, though, feeling that ‘get Jeremy railed’ was not on the list of priorities for either of them.

‘Holy fuck, Mike’s type is twinks isn’t it?’ Those were the first words that crossed Fritz's mind when he saw the way Mike’s eyes scanned over the new hire Chris brought in. Fritz didn’t know for  _ sure _ if that was what was happening as the two met, but he felt the tension cling to the air like plastic wrap as they shook hands and said their hellos. Each other’s sexualities weren’t a talking point for either of the two, and Fritz had no way of confirming or denying whether or not Mike actually  _ liked _ guys. Either way Mike was clearly fascinated by  _ something _ . Fritz made a mental note to find out more later and tuck it away as amo to tease the living shit out of him.

It took about a month or two for Chris to realize that he’d seen the look in Jeremy’s eyes before. The soft glances, the half-lidded eyes, the constantly fumbling of his hands in his pockets, he’d seen all of it before. The memories of the years came flooding back onto him, and he felt slightly queasy. He’d never let Jeremy be on the receiving end of something like that ever again, no matter what it meant for him and his own friendships.

They were aimlessly scrolling on their phones when Chris finally decided he’d see if Jeremy was willing to talk about it.

“Jere?” Chris asked. The brunette hummed in response, rolling over and looking up lazily at the blonde.

“So, what’s up with you and Mike?”

Chris let his lips turn upwards as the tips of his best friend’s ears started to dust a light pink color. He sputtered incoherent ‘uhms’ before finally settling on,

“Huh?”

The blonde laughed and moved a hand to rustle the boy’s hair.

“You and Mike? C’mon I could practically  _ see _ the stars in your eyes on our shift yesterday. He’s like, the carbon copy of your type,”

Jeremy tried to hide his flusteredness with a soft laugh, trying to roll his eyes.

“I-I mean he’s not  _ bad _ look-looking,”

Now it was Chris’ turn to roll his eyes.

“Oh come on,” He leaned over to push Jeremy’s shoulder.

“Why-Why are you so fixated on-on whether I thi-think Mike is ho-hot or not?” 

“Because you were practically  _ drooling- _ ”

“ _ Fuck you I-I was no- _ ”

A loud buzzing interrupted them from Jeremy’s phone. Chris climbed over the brunette’s lap and snatched the phone before he could do anything.

“Speak of the devil.”

Jeremy reached his arm for the phone only to have it swat away and the phone to be put on speaker.

“Hello?” Chris said, stifling back laughs as Jeremy’s face continued to flush.

“Uh, Chris? Is Jeremy there?” 

Mike’s voice was muffled by slight static, but the sudden deep tone only made Jeremy’s face flush more and Chris had to cover his mouth to stop his wheezes.

“Ye-Yes. Hey Mike,” Jeremy replied, taking a few calmer silent breaths.

“Hey. Fritz wants to get food after our shift, and told me to call you.”

The brunette swallowed and glanced at Chris who now looked more excited than anything else. Still, a part of Chris’ mind was boggled at Jeremy’s reaction to just Mike’s  _ voice _ . It was extremely monotone and lacking emotion- completely opposite to Jeremy’s.

“Uhm, sure! Ca-Can Chris come too-too?”

“Yeah, Fritz said to ask that too.”

There was a pause and the dead air felt full of tension, before both of the pair tried to talk again.

“So I’ll see yo-”

“See you in-”

The line broke out into laughter and Chris had to do a double take. 

_ Did Mike just  _ laugh _? _

“Okay, uh, just have Fritz text me the address,” Chris interrupted, taking note of Jeremy’s laughter not dying out immediately.

“Cool. See you in a bit.”

“Alright bye.”

“Bye.”

When the line fell silent, Jeremy was still smiling. Two sets of green eyes met only for two conflicting emotions to be vocalized.

“Did you get what you-”

“Did you hear that Mike-”

Both cut off, but Jeremy’s face was the one to change shape into one of confusion.

“What do-do you mean? Mi-Mike sounded nor-”

“He laughed,” Chris deadpanned, face suddenly completely serious.

“Okay? And-”

“I’ve known Mike for longer than you, and I can promise you, I’ve  _ never _ heard him laugh before,”

More red bloomed onto Jeremy's face before he shook his head and giggled.

“Dude, you’re wa-way overthinking this! I-I just think he’s kin-kind-kinda hot, okay?”

Chris eyed him a little more before their gaze was broken by another notification on Jeremy’s phone, which he promptly answered. The blonde bit his bottom lip and turned to his own phone, immediately opening his texts with Fritz.

_ 6:07 pm _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Dude Jeremy’s getting railed tonight _

_ From: Fritz _

_ huh _

_ From: Fritz _

_ i thought we’re getting food _

_ From: Fritz _

_ WAIT DID WE HAVE THE SAME FUCKING IDEA _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Oh my god _

_ To: Fritz _

_ You feel the sexual tension too _

_ From: Fritz _

_ DO YOU KNOW HOW ANNOYING HE IS WHEN HE SHITS ON US AND THEN IS LIKE ‘no jeremy baby you go ahead and say whatever’ _

_ From: Fritz _

_ I HAD TO DO SOMETHING _

_ To: Fritz _

_ YEAH LMAO _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Is Mike bi? _

_ From: Fritz _

_ he got all pissy when i asked about it but that wa after he said hed bang the brunette so _

_ From: Fritz _

_ was* _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Blunt, but okay.  _

_ From: Fritz _

_ what do you want me to say _

_ From: Fritz _

_ Mike would probably like to have sexual intercourse with Jeremy Fitzgerald, a new hire at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Why are you writing fanfiction about our friends _

_ From: Fritz _

_ bc i want to _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Just send me the address to the place, all we have to do is deal with them for like, an hour and then I’ll get all the details from Jeremy. _

_ From: Fritz _

_ if mike even tried to tell me any details i would sock him in the throat _

_ To: Fritz _

_ Cool. _

Chris smiled down at his phone, and let out of a soft laugh. Jeremy’s head moved to the source of the sound.

“What?”

“Nothing, Jere.”

  
  


_ God _ Mike wanted nothing more than to literally obliterate Fritz into thin air so he could leave the damn break room. Unfortunately for him, he did not have that power and Fritz was not going to move an inch. The tensions in the room were already running high, but more than anything Fritz  _ needed _ this information.

“Why the hell are you so obsessed with this? I just said that-”

“Am I  _ not _ allowed to ask you about your relationship life? You used to brag to me about how many people you were seeing-”

“-That was different! I was doing that to purposely annoy you!”

“Why can’t you just admit it? It’s not like I’m asking if you want to  _ marry _ him!”

Mike ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the roots a bit. 

“ _ Fine _ . Look, he’s hot, okay? I’d totally bang him.  _ Absolutely _ fuck him. Completely and utterly ravish-”

“ _ Jesus Christ I don’t need details! _ ”

“You were the one who asked!”

The frustration was still apparent with the two, but the tension in the air dwindled, and it finally settled in what he’d said. Fritz smirked, before pointing to Mike’s jeans.

“Call him, we’re getting food when our shift is over.”

The ginger glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just barely six, and their shift ended in a half hour. Mike’s normally stone cold face had the most subtle hint of red to it, making Fritz want to laugh again more than anything. Crossing his arms, Mike begrudgingly pulled his phone out and called Jeremy’s contact.

There was lead up to this, obviously, Fritz wasn’t that stupid. He had noticed the offness in Mike for a few weeks, and when they had initially first met. Mike’s eyes were dilated, the way they panned over Jeremy at every move when they were on shift together, the sudden lack of responses to texts only to find out later he was with the aforementioned brunette, just  _ everything _ . Also, a suspicious amount of visits to the other’s house, be it for rides to and from work, or to visit.

All of it set off huge alarms in Fritz’s head considering Mike hated  _ every _ new hire, even ones the ginger himself deemed extremely attractive or something of Mike’s type. Although, that guess seemed to have been thrown out the window as Jeremy was  _ literally a guy _ .

Fritz also had the worst sense of anyone’s sexualities, to be fair. Something Chris was very acutely aware of (within two days of meeting Mike, Chris asked if he was bisexual, prompting Fritz to ask how the hell he drew that conclusion).

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a sound he had only heard a few times before, almost always while he had a significant other under his arm walking around campus. 

Mike  _ laughed _ .

Fritz blinked and the phone call was over and the ravenette was squeezing his lips together, refusing to make eye contact with his friend.

“Okay? I did it. Now will you quit bothering me about it? If he’s interested, you’ll hear about it tomorrow-”

“Mike, are you bi?”

Blue eyes hesitantly made a connection with each other, leaving Mike for what seemed like the first time in his life, speechless. His mouth opened to say something, before it closed again.

“You- You know I wouldn’t care, right? Like you-”

“Just because I’d be down to hookup doesn’t mean I’d ever date a guy, dumbass,”

The words were colder than they needed to be, and Fritz’s eyes narrowed.

“Uhm, it kinda does, dude,”

When Mike looked up again there was a new fire in his eyes, one of which Fritz hadn’t seen before. Behind the clear anger and annoyance, the ginger tried to clear the smoke, being left with fear. He could almost smell the fear balling up inside of the man across from him. 

It made no sense.

Mike was political. Well, to him he’d say ‘human rights aren’t political’, but to the rest of the world, he was a very politically charged person. He was the first person at protests and rallies, the first to call out blatantly bigotted language and behavior, the first to proudly sew a rainbow pride flag to the pocket of his favorite hoodie when one of his closest friends from highschool came out and received backlash.

It made no sense why he would have this reaction to a question about his own sexuality. 

This confusing Fritz more, made him more prone to prod and question.

“You’re the furthest thing from homophobic why are-”

“I’m not mad, Fritz,”

“You look like you’re gonna sock me in the  _ fucking face _ !”

Fritz finally let his voice grow and Mike’s developed a growl to it. Mike raised his arms and squeezed his eyes shut, looking like he was going to combust.

“Just-”

He sighed. His body and facial features relaxed, but his eyes looked tired. Oh so very  _ tired _ .

“Drop it? Please?”

Fritz again was taken aback by the use of ‘please’, something that seemed to never leave Mike’s mouth genuinely. Fritz nodded, moving away from the door for Mike to leave. When he was alone in the dimly lit room, his phone buzzed against his leg.

They were in Mike’s car. Tension was coursing through the air, both of them felt like they could cut it if they wanted to. The music helped alleviate some of the intense pressure that seemed to be practically caving the car in. It was soft, lightly dancing in the background. 

Finally, the pair made eye contact. It was like there was a strong steady fire burning behind both of their eyes.

_ I just think he’s hot. He’s just my friend I think is hot. I don’t think anything- _

Mike’s thoughts rattled off the same sentences in different forms over and over again, eventually trying to force his mind into lewd scenarios to not think about anything else. He just had to lean over and kiss him. He’d either get shoved off and Mike would never speak to him again, or they’d bang and probably never speak again.

For some reason, both outcomes made Mike queasy.

All he had to do was kiss him. Press their lips together and he could have another standard hookup, just  _ lean over and fucking- _

Then, Jeremy laughed.

Every bit of tension and unbondable lust was gone, and Mike’s chest was full of helium. The smile that broke out on Jeremy’s face as he laughed was one of pure dopamine coursing through his veins.

The helium in Mike’s lungs didn’t leave as he cracked a small smile too, and a few pushes of breath past his lips.

“Here, I should pro-probably-”

“I can walk you to the door,”

Mike winced at the eagerness of his words, trying to drink up every piece of his smile. Jeremy nodded as the pair left Mike’s car. 

As Mike sat in the front seat of his car, his mind was empty. His heart was never filled with the lightness he had succumbed to minutes prior. He never felt that way about people.

Mike felt lust. Mike never felt love.

Gritting his teeth, he glanced out the window, staring at a small bug stain towards the front of the car.

_ No _ .

Mike felt lust. Mike doesn’t feel love. 

_ And that’s that. _

Shoving everything into a box as far into the back of his mind he could go, he drove off. Mike didn’t love and would never be able to even comprehend love. This was a misunderstanding with his horny-ass brain. He cared for Jeremy a lot and wanted to be his friend. Whatever he thought he felt was his mind messing with him. His feelings were platonic.

And that was that.

Jeremy called Chris that night. He insisted that they just wouldn’t be compatible for a one night stand and would continue to become better friends, as he really wanted to continue building a relationship.

Chris knew bullshit when he heard it.

It was little things, as the months progressed, that Chris noticed about his best friend that seemingly no one else would pick up on. Things like who drove Jeremy whenever they met up or what his knee jerk reaction to fear and anxiety was. Both of those slots used to hold to Chris, and even more smaller things, too. It wasn’t that Chris  _ minded _ perse, but he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t concerned. He had been there through every step of Elijah and somehow  _ still _ managed to let Jeremy get hurt. He couldn’t let that happen to him again.

He refused.

As the months dwindled towards fall, he got to know Mike decently well as well, picking up on mannerisms, habits, and generally his vibe around other people. 

Mike was not the friendliest type, to say the least. His height and dark hair gave him an advantage of sorts in keeping that image to others, along with his general resting bitch face. It definitely was a different Mike than the cocky asshole Fritz had described from highschool, but as he got to know the tall man he realized that Mike was indeed still there, you just needed to look further for it. The banter between the three on shifts was definitely more playful and genuinely engaging than anything he’d seen before with Mike.

How he acted around Jeremy? That was a  _ completely _ different Mike.

There was always a subtle protectiveness that lurked around him near Jeremy, one that you’d only notice if you were looking for it. Or, if you were Fritz and knew Mike like the back of your hands and could tell whenever he would literally commit arson for Jeremy to smile just once.

“Jere, let’s go,” Mike called jangling his keys which were above his head as he walked towards the glass pane doors at the entrance. Fritz gave a glance to Chris before walking out towards him.

“Mike, why do you never wanna do shit with us, huh?” Fritz prodded, jogging up to the taller and elbowing him in the side.

“Maybe because you’re an asshat,”

“Mhm, it’s not because of Jeremy,”

Said brunette rolled his eyes at the comment, which caused Chris to furrow his eyebrows and move to walk in a line.

“You-You two can come if yo-you want,” Jeremy paused, poking Mike’s forearm and looking up with what Chris could only describe as doe eyes. “If that’s okay,”

Chris made subtle eye contact with the ginger on the other side and was  _ genuinely _ concerned Fritz was going to lose his mind right there in the goddamn pizzeria.

“Yeah, of course,”

The group walked outside to be met with cloudy overcast skies, and a walk to Mike’s apartment. Chris trusted Jeremy with his life, and had always  _ always _ believed what Jeremy told him. He believed Mike was a good guy, but he didn’t know how he felt about their relationship growing closer and closer. Not to say he didn’t want the younger to date anyone, not at all, in fact, Chris had been the one to try and set Jeremy up on a few dates both before and after he turned eighteen. However, Jeremy was nowhere near ready for another relationship, long term or not. He was still healing his still somewhat fresh wounds he knew he’d carry for the rest of his life.

Chris was only worried that Mike could cut him deeper right in front of their eyes. Not because he was necessarily a bad person, but just because Chris was so goddamn  _ scared _ of someone or something hurting Jeremy again.

He was snapped out of his trance when he felt a few droplets of water on his face, planting his feet on the concrete.

“It’s April,”

“Oh my god, Chris, tell us more,” Mike mumbled roughly, glancing up for himself as the droplets became thicker and heavier.

“Hurry, I don’t need my socks soaked,” Fritz responded, picking up his walking pace and throwing his hood over his head. Chris followed suit, only to glance at Jeremy only wearing a sweater (also noting the chills quaking the boy’s body). As he opened his mouth to say something and take off his hoodie, someone beat him to it. 

Mike’s security jacket was off and above Jeremy’s head in seconds, effectively shielding him from any water. His own hair bunching up in curls across his forehead, only accentuating his already blue eyes.

“Tha-Thank you,”

Jeremy laughed and moved closer to the taller, seemingly looking for warmth. The jacket above him followed his every move.

Maybe it was the cloudy air, maybe it was the rain, maybe it was the extra darkness in his hair due to said rain. Whatever it was, Mike’s eyes were full to the brim as they looked down onto the shorter boy next to him. Chris would recognize it anywhere.

Pure, unfiltered, love.

The blonde sighed. His own hair was sticking to his face as he leaned further into Mike’s unbreakable gaze with Jeremy. Every wall was down, and he was left with a clear shot of adoration and infatuation.

Suddenly, Chris wasn’t so scared anymore.

3:04pm 

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ i cant fuckin deal w this much longer _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ Huh? _

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ can they not flirt for literally two seconds _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ Still? Have you talked to Mike yet? _

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ no not since the first time a bajillion years ago _

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ were surrounded by idiots chris im going to kms _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ Dude I’m sorry you only have like three hours with them left right? _

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ yea then jerm leaves and mike will be cold as a rock to me _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ He is whipped. _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ I mean, so is Jeremy but like, wow. _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ “no no jere cmere ill help you” _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ loud screaming _

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ I am so sorry. Try to stick it out, and if you can’t tell Jere I need to call him and I’ll bullshit something. _

_ From: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ and have to watch mike go all territorial on me? fuck no _

_ To: Chris the Dumbfuck _

_ Just saying.  _

  
  


Chris had more patience than Fritz, but surprisingly, his conversation with Jeremy happened first. Mainly to do with the boy being closer to Chris than Mike to Fritz.

It happened oddly, though, as Chris was only told that the boy was really anxious and his mom was away for the week with family in New York, leaving the house empty besides him. The blonde had a key to the house, anyways, since the Elijah situation occurred, meaning it was easy to slip in whenever (Jeremy’s mom was like a second mom to him, and he was practically family).

So, like any good best friend, he drove to the small condo with a pint of ice cream and a hoodie he found in the back of his car (he’d casually leave out the fact that it was Mike’s). It was a surprisingly cool night, but the humid air still clung to him desperately. Letting out a sigh, he fumbled with his keys before finally slipping inside the house. The house was unsurprisingly dark, but there was something unnerving about the low lit rooms. He quietly walked up the stairs and down the first hallway to see a stream of light pouring from under Jeremy’s door. His hand was over the knob, about to turn it, when he heard a few wails over the music playing.

When had the music started playing, again?

Hesitantly, he opened the door and felt himself hurt at the sight. Before Jeremy could see or respond he was speaking.

“Why are you clutching your pillow sobbing listening to a love song?”

It was quite a visual, really. The only lights being a candle and his bedside lamp, clothes and food wrappers strewn on the floor, Jeremy’s speaker softly playing “Mine” by Taylor Swift, said brunette holding a pillow to his chest while sitting criss-cross and puffy eyes.

The words were said so softly, that even though there was the faintest hint of a smile on Chris’ face, Jeremy knew he meant it genuinely.

The blonde moved to sit on the bed next to Jeremy, setting the hoodie and ice cream next to him. He placed a hand on the boy’s knee and waited for his sniffles to die down.

“I-I was with Mi-Mike today,” Jeremy spoke, just barely above a whisper. The song changed and his ears perked up, moving to check his phone. 

_ I steal a few breaths from the world for a minute _

_ And then I'll be nothing forever _

He grumbled at the title, moving back to trying to talk to Chris.

“We were walking in-in a dark spo-spot-spot of the mall, and I thought so-some guy was following me- We-Well,  _ us _ , but me, you know?”

His breaths were uneven and tears were still falling down his face. Chris leaned forward and used his thumbs to wipe the tears off of his freckled cheeks, as more lyrics flew by.

_ But me and my husband _

_ We are doing better _

“And-And I was holding his hand real-really-really hard, I-I guess, so when we went back to the ca-car, he was all like-”

A few more hiccups were heard as Jeremy’s grip on his pillow tightened

_ It's always been just him and me _

_ Together _

“He said, ‘I-I hate when you’re scared, I always wanna keep you saf-safe from anything.’ And-And then, ‘I would do-do anything to pro-prote-prot-prote-’  _ Fuck! _ ”

Jeremy dove his face into the pillow, as Chris scooted forward to wrap his arms around the smaller boy. “I would do anything to protect you,” hung in the air like syrup, and it seemed as Chris knew where this was going. He grimaced as a few sobs wracked his best friend’s body, doing his best to smother that fear and anxiety with love. It took a few minutes for composure to come back to the brunette, but nevertheless he hiccupped a few more times along with guided breaths from Chris.

_ And I'm the idiot with the painted face _

_ In the corner, taking up space _

“It made me feel so-so,  _ wanted _ , and-and just whenever he’s around I-”

Silence overtook the room as the song seemed to go from a soft background noise to a loud banging against their ears.

_ But when he walks in, _

_ I am loved, I’m loved _

Jeremy’s eyes filled with tears as his sobs finally over took his body. He was shaking all over as he fell forward into Chris’ embrace still clutching the pillow in his arms desperately. Chris instantaneously secured a hold on the boy’s waist, holding on for dear life, a few of his own tears slipping too. Jeremy pulled away and grabbed onto Chris’ hoodie.

“I love him,”

It was no louder than a whisper. The air was dead as he felt waves and waves of emotion wrack his body and being. Jeremy started wailing, unable to control his cries as he repeated it like a mantra.

“ _ I love him, I love him, I love him, _ ”

Chris smiled ever so softly as Jeremy continued sobbing those three words, his voice tearing you could almost hear the chords ripping. It was oddly calming to the pair, despite the loud cries and shakes from Jeremy. It was calming to hear Jeremy give in and  _ allow _ himself to love. To allow himself to  _ feel _ love again. Jeremy used to think he never would feel love again, or wonder if he had felt it at all. 

Wails turned to sobs, which turned to cries, which turned to yells, which turned to sentences, which turned to mumbles; Soft mumbles against his best friend’s hoodie declaring his love to someone who was nowhere near by to ever hear it.

“I  _ love _ him,” Jeremy whispered, his voice fading out. Chris didn’t bother wiping his own tears from his face as he pulled Jeremy from his chest.

“I know you do, Jere,”

Jeremy’s lips curled ever so slightly upwards, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“I know you do,”

Fritz remembered the event of Mike’s realization based on how loud his damn car was. 

It was Fritz and Mike, who’d expect anything different?

The pair had just finished closing, and neither had nightshift, so Fritz, trying to be somewhat nice, offered to drive him back to his apartment. For the most part, the ride was silent, only filled by the white noise of whatever happened to be playing on the radio, until Mike’s already concerned face turned to Fritz’s at a red light.

“Hey, change of plans, can you drop me off at Jere’s place? He needs someone right no-”

“I swear, you’re so head over heels you look stupid,”

He mumbled his response before he could really think about it, only for the air in the car to turn significantly more intense as the ginger moved to make a u-turn. Mike’s jaw was clenched and the hand on his phone tensed immensely, all completely visible from Fritz’s peripheral.

“No, I’m not, Fritz,”

Fritz snorted, eying how close he was to Jeremy’s house via street signs.

“Uh huh, and my hair’s black,”

“Can I not have a best friend? For once can I-”

“-Last time I checked, best friends don’t call each other ‘Doll’ or talk to each other like a married couple,”

“Can you fuck off? He’s my friend and I-”

Fritz eyed the road, looking at the curb in front of Jeremy’s house and quickly swerving to pull in front of it. The pairs’ bodies rattled and swung before settling in as Fritz put the car in park.

“What the  _ hell? _ ”

Click.

“You’re not leaving until you admit you love him,”

Mike’s mouth stood agape as he jiggled the handle on his door. To his dismay, when it didn’t open, he slumped towards Fritz, a scowl on his face.

“You’re such a fucking dick,” 

“No  _ no _ , I’m not gonna deal with you drooling over the dumbass only to turn around and say he’s just your friend. God, what is so  _ hard _ about this for you?”

The growing frustration in the cramped space was only becoming more apparent as they stared harder and harder at each other.

“Why do you care so much about how I feel about him? All you do is bully him anyways,”

“I do that knowing  _ someone _ will always defend him! And  _ by _ the way, don’t act like your feelings have always been prissy perfect platonic, you  _ literally _ tried to-”

“- _ I was being horny and stupid! _ It meant nothing! I realized he-”

“ _ No _ , you got scared and didn’t want your time with him to end like every other hookup. Mike you think I don’t  _ know _ you,”

Fritz was fully turned in his seat, to try and see more of Mike’s expression. It was unreadable with the anger clouding it.

“You don’t know me! You don’t pay attention to every detail of the things I do!”

“I know you look at him like he’s your entire world, and yet you  _ still  _ can’t-”

“-You act like I bought him the fucking eiffel tower, can I not have a best friend who means-”

Mike cut himself off and Fritz’s eyebrows furrowed together. He knew he was backed into a corner. Fritz wanted to smirk so bad, he wanted to laugh in his face and make him say it. But instead, he kept his voice stern and low, like a command.

“Say it.”

Mike’s mouth was dry. He couldn’t necessarily feel his body completely. He was floating in space, simply existing. What did he want to say? What could he say?

_ Who means everything to me _

_ Who I would die for _

_ Who I’d give up everything just for them to smile _

_ Who I want to hold until everything terrible fades away _

_ Who means that I won’t be so alone anymore. _

_ Who loves me. _

_ Who I love. _

“Mike,” Fritz leaned forward, placing a hand on his friend’s arm, noticing the shift in the air. His voice was still an unwavering command, a stark contrast from his physical gesture. He made a silent prayer that he wouldn’t have to deal with this bullshit anymore. 

Mike’s eyes were light, but his body was still tense as ever. He seemed to be playing with fantasies, toying with reality. The ginger couldn’t read the soft expression. That was, until the taller man shook his head and let his eyes darken again.

“Who means a lot to me. Someone I care about, and wish well,”

Mike pressed his lips together as his knuckles went white with the grip on his seat. There was a pause in the air before Fritz finally lashed out. Every nerve in his body felt on fire as he let his tongue go, not caring about what consequences came after them. He didn’t care anymore. 

“Are you that  _ fucking _ in denial Mike? You’re that afraid to admit that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , you found someone who you even fucking  _ like _ ? You treat  _ everyone  _ around you like complete shit except for him, and you expect us to believe you when you say he’s just your friend? Newsflash, dipshit,  _ friends don’t look at each other like that _ . You can’t run away from love your  _ entire _ life because you’re what? Scared? What do you think Jeremy feels? He had a fucking piece of shit ex-boyfriend and  _ you’re  _ leading him on with your whole  _ Doll _ thing, how do you think  _ he  _ feels!”

There was a pause as Mike’s expressionless face morphed into one of pure anger, gritting his teeth.

“I am  _ nothing _ like his ex, you bastard, I would  _ never _ hurt him-”

“-What do you think you treating him like your boyfriend would do to him in the long run? Because you’re  _ so _ afraid to just admit that you even fucking  _ care _ for the dumbass-”

It was Mike’s turn to turn in his seat and face the red head.

“I  _ do  _ care for him I just-”

“-Then say it! Tell me you love him!”

“You hear me tell him all the time! Why is this different? I’ve already said-”

“-Say it you thick-headed bitch! Say you love him! Tell me! Why can’t you just  _ fucking _ -”

_ “I think I’m in love with him and I’m terrified!” _

A silence rang through the small vehicle as Fritz noticed the now apparent tears building up behind Mike’s eyes. Both of the pair’s blood was pumping incredibly fast, as Fritz’s expression fell at the sudden vulnerability on display for him to see. It was a sight he’d only been allowed to see once before truly. Mike’s body was wracked with small shakes, his eyes had tears threatening to spill over at any second, and for once all of the stone walls he had surrounding himself were stripped away and you could see the fear in his eyes. Fritz swallowed, trying to find the words to say something,  _ anything _ . Before he could, Mike let out a small laugh as he finally let tears fall onto his flushed cheeks.

“You’re right, Fritz. He-” 

Mike’s breathing hitched as more and more tears fell. His voice drowned down to a whisper, as he stared at his hands.

“He means everything to me,”

Fritz moved to put a hand on the taller’s wrist in comfort, his own voice lowering as well.

“You’re really that afraid?”

Mike laughed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

“How can anyone  _ not _ be afraid of love? Accepting something so deep and vulnerable?”

His shaking didn’t stop, nor did his crying, but his breath began to take more of a normal pace.

“You’re right, though. I should’ve accepted it awhile ago. I’m sorry for being an asshat about it I just-”

“You don't need to give me an explanation Mike.”

Fritz smiled, squeezing his wrist as Mike turned to make eye contact.

“It may have been really fucking annoying to watch you pine and deny it, and it still will be, but you don’t need to apologize. I’m your friend, I-I,”

Fritz paused before gesturing his arms open for a hug.

“I’m here for you, man,”

Mike stared at his arms and then back to Fritz a few times before reaching over the center console into a tight hug. Sure, it was slightly awkward, but isn’t every post-cry hug? Fritz took the moment to reflect on him and Mike’s odd relationship. He remembered every time they’d fight there was always someone who thought they were secretly dating and using their fighting to cover. God, if they could see them now they’d laugh. He truly did care about Mike, though. Through all the bickering and taunting, they were great friends. He couldn’t imagine his life without Mike there. 

A laugh rang through his ear, as Mike pulled away, a genuine smile on his face.

“What  _ now _ ?” Fritz said, smirking along with him.

“Imagine highschool us seeing us now, two blubbering idiots crying and hugging in a stupid  _ car _ ,” 

Fritz broke out into a genuine laugh as well, grasping onto Mike’s shoulder as he keeled over. Neither could remember quite how long they were laughing, but neither cared either. The only thing interrupting their thoughts was a vibration against the floor of the car. The taller moved to pick up his phone, and his face immediately morphed into concern again.

“I-I, it’s Jere, I need to-”

“-Yeah, yeah, loverboy, go save your prince charming,” Fritz interrupted, another smile spreading across his face.

For once, Mike’s lips curled upwards, too, and a new light had sparked behind his eyes.

“Don’t worry, I will,”

-

Despite the confessions to each others’ corresponding closest friend, it was not made  _ any _ easier for them to keep quiet to each other. One of their dumbest moments was again, at work. 

Fritz and Chris were both carrying boxes of new shipments of plates and silverware towards the kitchen entry to set down and add to the racks, when they noticed Jeremy sitting on the countertop of the prize area, and Mike leaning his chin on his hand staring up at him. They were conversing loud enough to where they could hear them, but they definitely couldn’t see the blonde and ginger.

“Have you ever liked someone before but been too scared to say it?” Jeremy blurted, seemingly out of nowhere, although it probably made sense in the context of their conversation. Mike’s expression of fondness didn’t change as he responded.

“All the time.” “Same.”

Fritz looked back at Chris, his eyes low and his mouth open, looking like he was ready to bang his head against a wall.

“They’re  _ idiots! _ Oh my god! Fuck already! How can two people be so  _ dense _ ?”

Chris rolled his eyes and massaged his head as he let out a frustrated laugh.

“I’m gonna hear about it for the next week from Jeremy, aren’t I?”

Fritz walked towards Chris and started hitting his head on the blonde’s shoulder.

“This is never ending pain,”

-

Since the last incident, it was safe to assume Chris and Fritz were almost entirely done with the stupidity of their friends. They could take a lot, and wouldn’t force anything, but would still try to put them in damning situations.

That was why Fritz had the brilliant idea to shove every guy he knew into Jeremy’s face and see how long it’d take for Mike to crack.

His venture took place over multiple days, and Mike did eventually break while walking to Chris’ house after shift with the rest of them, however, the funniest moment was the initial suggestion.

“Jere, have you ever considered going on a blind date?”

The four coworkers were washing dishes, and Mike physically slipped with his hands and almost dropped the glass in the sink. Jeremy laughed and rolled his eyes.

“The one blin-blind date I’ve been on, he sto-stood-stood me up,”

Chris cringed at the memory, considering he was the one who supported Jeremy on the venture. Nevertheless, Fritz continued to pry.

“I’m just saying, you’re a  _ romantic _ person, I feel like you’re ready to put yourself out there again,”

Mike rolled his eyes, this time, more confident after Jeremy already expressed disinterest.

“Fritz, lay off he clearl-”

“-Did you hav-have someone in particular in min-mind?”

Mike let his hands go to the bottom of the sink and turn to the brunette with his mouth agape. Fritz couldn’t stop his howling laughter as Chris tried to stifle his own.

“Is someone jealous?” Chris taunted leaning over to shove Mike in the shoulder.

“ _ No _ , absolutely not. I just want Jere to be, safe, that’s all,”

Fritz laughter finally subsided as Jeremy leaned into Mike’s shoulder.

“No one could ever repl-replace you, Mike.”

The taller sighed and rested his own head against the brunette’s.

“I will always support you Doll, with whoever or whatever you wanna do,”

Jeremy lightly pushed into him as giggles overtook the room at the wording. Fritz groaned and Chris gave a small smile.

“Get this sappy shit out of here,”

-

They were sat in the hospital. The last place they wanted to be knowing that the two most important people in their life could be dead.

Chris was called first, by Jeremy’s mom once she found out where he was. He was hysteric as he tried to throw on clothes and get to his car. He didn’t remember the drive, but he remembered almost crashing his car because he couldn’t see or focus well through his shakes and sobs.

Fritz was numb to it. Being Mike’s only emergency contact, he drove to the hospital with no expression and waited for Chris to tumble in. There was no lively energy to be had.

So there they were. Chris’ body was still wracking with shakes as Fritz stared down the opposite wall.

“I wish I’d been nicer to him this week,” Fritz mumbled, softly.

Chris glanced up at the ginger, reaching a hand on his knee.

“Don’t say that we don’t know if-”

“-I still should’ve.”

There was more silence, as Fritz put his own hand on Chris’ for comfort. No more words were said as the pair waited for something,  _ anything _ , from one of the staff. It was four hours of watching people pass, glances at Twitter, and more tears before either got an update.

“Fritz Smith?”

The ginger’s head shot up to look at the lady in front of him.

“Yes?”

“You’re here for inpatient Mike Schmidt, correct?”

“Yes, is-is he-”

“I need you to look at this paperwork before you can see him. He has no connection to his family on our records, so you need to do this first.”

Fritz fumbled with the pen as he frantically started working on what was in front of him. Chris stayed silent, lulling his head backwards to stare at the ceiling. Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.

_ How the fuck did this happen? _

He could only let his mind wander as the scribbling of Fritz’s pen rang through his ears.

It took him a half hour to finish going through everything and adding phone numbers and new contacts. Fritz felt his heart clench when he added both Jeremy and his mom to his new family and friends contacts. The second his pen was down he rushed up to the receptionist who let him through.

Just ten minutes later, Fritz came back and gestured at the blonde curled up in his chair to follow him. As they sped walked down the halls, Chris muttered out a small,

“Is it Jere-”

“-You can come see Mike with me.”

When the nurse let them into the small, bright room, Chris was taken aback by how completely destroyed Mike looked. His eyes had bags, his arm was in a sling, and he had bandages left and right.

“Mike,” Chris breathed out, moving to one side of the bed as Fritz followed.

“Hey, Chris,”

The trio shared small smiles, before Fritz spoke up.

“He told me he didn’t want to talk until you were here too.”

Mike stared off into the wall ahead of him, seemingly zoning out before he turned to Chris, a small smirk spreading onto his face.

“Chris, why didn’t you tell me Jeremy was that easy to pick up?”

The pair had the most dumbfounded expressions resting on their faces, before Chris answered.

“You’ve picked him up a bunch of times before what do you-”

“He’s real whiny too, like, where did  _ that _ come from?”

“What do you mean whin-”

The room went dead silent.

“ _ You fucked Jeremy before almost getting yourselves murdered? _ ” Fritz yelled, gripping onto the edge of the hospital bed, and sending Mike into loud laughs.

“No,  _ no! _ We-We just like, kissed and-”

“ _ What? _ ” The two nightguards blurted out as Mike continued to laugh. Chris ran a hand through his hair in disbelief as Fritz started bagging on Mike.

“What the  _ fuck _ ? You were being  _ horny _ while you two could’ve died? You’re so  _ stupid _ , what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Wait,  _ Wait _ , let me explain, okay?” Mike managed between laughs.

The room calmed down and Mike explained everything. The music box, the running, the room, the confession (somewhat), and what happened when Jeremy passed out.

Fritz gave some commentary and so did Chris, but for the most part they stayed silent, taking in what was being said. Once it was over, Mike slumped back in his bed, staring at the ceiling.

There was silence before Chris broke it.

“Does this mean we don’t have to deal with you two hopelessly pining after each other anymore?”

Mike let out a huff as Fritz joined in laughing. The air subsided with an uneasy haze on it as the implications of Jeremy still not being completely awake set in.

“Has she said any-”

“-No, Mike,” Chris grimaced, moving to set a hand on his. Fritz looked nauseous as the weight of what Mike was going through had fully set in. Imagine confessing and kissing the person you love most, only to know that they might not be alive anymore.

Mike turned to Chris and grabbed both of his hands.

“Chris I-”

Silence.

“I-I’m  _ so _ sorry that I couldn’t, I couldn’t do more,”

It set in what Mike was trying to say as Chris’ concerned face looked at Mike’s eyes now shiny with an extra layer of precipitation. The blonde felt his own eyes well up as he squeezed tight on the taller’s hands.

“You’ve done everything for him, Mike,”

Both of their tears fell, as sniffles rang throughout the dead air.

“I could never repay you for what you’ve done for him.”

-

He was in the kitchen, eating a tub of ice cream dropped off by a certain someone when there was a knock at the door. Chris’ head tilted towards the door as he set his spoon onto the counter, and walked over to open it. When he swung the door open, his eyes lit up as the sight of a green-eyed brunette in front of him.

“ _ Jeremy! _ ”

He engulfed the brunette into a bone crushing hug before he could even fully respond, resulting in small laughs to rumble across the front of Chris’ chest. One of the taller’s hands lay on his waist while the other rested on his head, gently petting through his hair. The white t-shirt Chris was wearing became the slightest bit wet as they pair began to cry in the hold. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave as he sunk into his cries and their hug. When his eyes opened, despite not realizing they’d closed in the first place, he then noticed the other man standing there a few yards away from his doorstep. The pair broke away, as Mike moved towards them. For the first time a while, Chris noticed the real and genuine smile resting on Mike’s face. Their eye contact was unwavering, until the taller dove into a hug with the blonde (the best he could with a sling).

“Someone’s happy,” He responded, giving a small wheezing laugh. Jeremy joined in with laughter as Mike pulled away, his good arm resting securely on the brunette’s waist. Chris smiled, glancing between the pair.

“I’m so proud of both of you,”

Of all the responses they had expected to hear, that was not one of them. Their eyes softened, as more tears fell from Chris’ eyes.

“So fuckin’ proud,”

Jeremy laughed through the new wetness in his eyes, standing on his tip-toes to kiss Mike on the cheek, before rushing forward and wrapping his arms around Chris’ middle. Chris instinctively raised his arms at the sudden motion, only to be drowned out by each other’s giggles. Mike stood there, watching the love of his life and their best friend in a moment of pure unfiltered affection. Chris tilted his head up and raised his eyebrows. Using one of the hands not on Jeremy’s back, he gestured a welcoming hand to Mike. Gingerly, the black haired man walked toward the pair and wrapped an arm around Chris’ shoulder, leaning his head onto the blonde hair next to him. 

For the first time in months, Chris let out a sigh of relief. Outside his tiny flat in Utah, cold fall air biting the thin layer of night clothes he was wearing, sunk into the hold of two of the most important people in his life.Yeah, they were a pain in the ass, but who isn’t at times? All he knew was that he loved them. So fucking much.

And he wouldn’t trade them for the world. Not a chance.

**Author's Note:**

> This took of FOURTY PAGES of my master-doc, and oh my god it was so worth it. I truly adore this work, and plan on writing a follow up of their dynamic after they start the relationship. I really hope you guys like this one, too. I'm sorry it took so long! But with school, and life, other things got in the way.  
> I've been hinting at something relating to Chris, have you noticed? Will probably do a short chapter about that (nothing too long, 1/2k words at MAX)
> 
> Thank you for all the kind words and support, remember I love hearing what you guys have to say, so PLEASE all comments are encouraged.  
> I love you all soooo much!  
> Stay safe :] <3  
> -Fia


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